New York reference
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New York State Record Fish
Every DEC freshwater and marine state record, with weight, angler, water and date.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Great Sacandaga Lake: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Freshwater
New York freshwater state record fish
| Species | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | 69 lb 15 oz | 64.5 in | Arthur Lawton | St. Lawrence River | Jefferson | September 22, 1957 |
| Carp, Common | 50 lb 6 oz | 44.5 in | Charles Primeau Sr. | Tomhannock Reservoir | Rensselaer | May 12, 1995 |
| Salmon, Chinook | 47 lb 13 oz | 48 in | Kurtis Killian | Salmon River Reservoir | Oswego | September 7, 1991 |
| Pike, Northern | 46 lb 2 oz | Peter Dubuc | Great Sacandaga Lake | Fulton | September 15, 1940 | |
| Trout, Lake | 41 lb 8 oz | 42.75 in | Jesse Wykstra | Lake Erie | Chautauqua | August 9, 2003 |
| Catfish, Channel | 37 lb 9 oz | 40 in | Dylan Kampnich | Black River Bay | Jefferson | May 3, 2025 |
| Drum, Freshwater | 36 lb 0 oz | 42.75 in | Jason Bair | Oneida Lake | Oneida | June 16, 2017 |
| Muskellunge, Tiger | 35 lb 8 oz | 50 in | Brett Gofgosky | Tioughnioga River | Broome | May 25, 1990 |
| Salmon, Coho | 33 lb 7 oz | 41.9 in | Stephen Sheets Jr. | Lake Ontario | Oswego | August 13, 1998 |
| Trout, Brown | 33 lb 2 oz | 38 in | Tony Brown | Lake Ontario | Oswego | June 10, 1997 |
| Trout, Rainbow | 31 lb 3 oz | 39 in | Robert Wilson | Lake Ontario | Niagara | August 14, 2004 |
| Salmon, Atlantic | 24 lb 15 oz | 35 in | Mike Dandino | Lake Ontario | Wayne | April 5, 1997 |
| Walleye | 18 lb 2 oz | 32 in | Brian Hartman | St. Lawrence River | St. Lawrence | May 5, 2018 |
| Burbot | 16 lb 12 oz | 34.75 in | Terrance Colwell | Lake Ontario (Black River Bay) | Jefferson | February 14, 1991 |
| Gar, Longnose | 15 lb 14 oz | 53.25 in | Chuck Zimmerman | Butterfield Lake | Jefferson | June 21, 2024 |
| Bowfin | 13 lb 8 oz | 30.5 in | Chase Soptelean | Yanty Creek | Monroe | June 13, 2021 |
| Trout, Splake | 13 lb 8 oz | 31 in | Jonathan Simon | Limekiln Lake | Herkimer | June 27, 2004 |
| Bass, Largemouth | 12 lb 6 oz | 25 in | James Britenbaugh | Cayuga Lake | Cayuga | July 11, 2024 |
| Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse | 11 lb 11 oz | Joe Williams | Salmon River Reservoir | Oswego | May 26, 1996 | |
| Whitefish, Lake | 10 lb 8 oz | 27.87 in | Randolph Smith | Lake Pleasant | Hamilton | August 29, 1995 |
| Catfish, White | 10 lb 5 oz | 25.5 in | Joe Silicato | New Croton Reservoir | Westchester | May 17, 1998 |
| Shad, American | 9 lb 4 oz | 28 in | Robert Kubica | Hudson River | Albany | May 9, 2007 |
| Bass, Smallmouth | 9 lb 0 oz | 23.12 in | Dante Piraino | St. Lawrence River | St. Lawrence | September 22, 2024 |
| Pickerel, Chain | 8 lb 1 oz | John Bosland | Toronto Reservoir | Sullivan | February 13, 1965 | |
| Bullhead, Black | 7 lb 7 oz | 26 in | Kevin Kelly | Mill Pond | Nassau | August 25, 1993 |
| Bullhead, Brown | 7 lb 6 oz | 22.2 in | Glenn Collacuro | Lake Mahopac | Putnam | August 1, 2009 |
| Trout, Brook | 6 lb 3 oz | 22 in | Benjamin Ferguson | St. Regis Canoe Area | Franklin | July 5, 2025 |
| Sucker, White | 5 lb 8 oz | 24 in | Joshua Wegner | Cold Brook, Steuben County | Steuben | April 14, 2015 |
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 5 lb 7 oz | Albert Baratto | Lake Lauderdale | Washington | January 25, 1990 | |
| Crappie, White | 4 lb 7 oz | 19 in | Roy Isaac | Sleepy Hollow Lake | Greene | August 21, 2021 |
| Crappie, Black | 4 lb 1 oz | 18.5 in | William Wightman | Lake Flavia | Cattaraugus | May 6, 2018 |
| Fallfish | 4 lb 1 oz | 20.25 in | Alex Pidhorodeckyj | St. Lawrence River | St. Lawrence | May 13, 2025 |
| Bass, White | 3 lb 8 oz | 18 in | Morgan Fonzi | Lower Niagara River | Niagara | May 6, 2020 |
| Perch, Yellow | 3 lb 8 oz | George Boice | Lake Erie | Erie | April 28, 1982 | |
| Perch, White | 3 lb 4 oz | 15.6 in | Yongfeng Tian | Cross River Reservoir | Westchester | November 23, 2025 |
| Bluegill (sunfish) | 2 lb 8 oz | 12 in | Devin VanZandt | Kohlbach Pond | Broome | August 3, 1992 |
| Bass, Rock | 2 lb 0 oz | 14.5 in | Jason Leusch | Port Bay (Lake Ontario) | Wayne | May 24, 2020 |
| Pumpkinseed (sunfish) | 1 lb 9 oz | 11.5 in | R. Kennard Mosher | Indian Lake | Hamilton | July 19, 1994 |
DEC state record fish table, DEC Current NY State Record Fish table, as of December 10, 2025; retrieved October 24, 2026.
Marine
New York marine record fish
| Species | Weight | Angler | Hometown | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shark (White) | 3450.00 lbs | Don Braddick | Montauk, NY | August 6, 1986 |
| Marlin (Blue) | 1174.00 lbs | Bill Sweedler | Westport, CT | July 20, 1986 |
| Shark (Tiger) | 1087.00 lbs | Ken Rafferty | Massapequa, NY | July 23, 1986 |
| Shark (Mako) | 1080.00 lbs | James Melanson | Haverhill, MD | August 26, 1979 |
| Tuna (Bluefin) | 1071.00 lbs | Larry Thompson | Montauk, NY | August 21, 1977 |
| Shark (Thresher) | 707.00 lbs | William Dittenhoefer Jr. | Baldwin, NY | June 16, 2023 |
| Swordfish | 540.00 lbs | Dean Delle Donne | Moriches, NY | September 8, 2006 |
| Shark (Blue) | 528.00 lbs | Joe Seidel | Bayside, NY | August 9, 2001 |
| Shark (Porbeagle) | 393.00 lbs | Robert Bruno | Staten Island, NY | August 23, 2014 |
| Tuna (Bigeye) | 355.00 lbs | Richard Buechmann | Oakdale, NY | September 27, 1981 |
| Tuna (Yellowfin) | 248.50 lbs | Bruce Weisinger | East Hills, NY | September 9, 2002 |
| Marlin (White) | 130.00 lbs | Mrs. P. Dater | East Hampton, NY | August 13, 1951 |
| Wahoo | 117.00 lbs | Jonathan Stabe | Brewster, NY | August 17, 2013 |
| Atlantic Cod | 85.00 lbs | Fred Shay, Jr. | Montauk, NY | February 25, 1984 |
| Tuna (Albacore) | 81.15 lbs | Billy Turnbull | Key Colony Beach, FL | October 8, 2011 |
| Striped Bass | 76.00 lbs | Bob Rocchetta | East Setauket, NY | July 17, 1981 |
| Golden Tilefish | 68.25 lbs | Robert Foley | Cortlandt Manor, NY | July 11, 2021 |
| Black Drum | 58.56 lbs | William Dittenhoefer Jr. | Baldwin, NY | September 13, 2025 |
| Dolphinfish (Mahi-Mahi) | 56.50 lbs | Joe Mole | Massapequa Park, NY | July 26, 2015 |
| Pollock | 45.94 lbs | Bruce Morabito | West Islip, NY | August 26, 1988 |
| Bluefish | 25.00 lbs | Peter Weber, Jr. | Montauk, NY | October 30, 1998 |
| Blackfish (Tautog) | 22.53 lbs | Bill Taylor | Amityville, NY | November 14, 2014 |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) | 22.44 lbs | Charles Nappi | Hicksville, NY | September 15, 1975 |
| Weakfish | 19.13 lbs | Dennis Rooney | Seaford, NY | October 11, 1984 |
| False Albacore | 18.05 lbs | Jason Fassino | Lindenhurst, NY | June 15, 2021 |
| Sheepshead | 15.81 lbs | Joe Foster | Roslyn, NY | September 24, 2025 |
| Atlantic Bonito | 13.45 lbs | Matthew P. Kessinger | Oceanside, NY | November 8, 2020 |
| Black Sea Bass | 9.00 lbs | Sal Vicari | Bronx, NY | October 10, 1993 |
| Triggerfish | 7.63 lbs | Steven Newman | Montauk, NY | October 3, 1999 |
| Winter Flounder | 7.22 lbs | Jack Cohen | Staten Island, NY | June 29, 1997 |
| Porgy (Scup) | 6.25 lbs | Samuel Warren | District Hgts, MD | October 1, 1978 |
| Striped Sea Robin | 3.70 lbs | Thomas Anderson | Mattituck, NY | May 24, 2025 |
| White Perch | 3.06 lbs | Jeffrey Butta | Ronkonkoma, NY | February 11, 2023 |
| Northern Puffer | 1.34 lbs | Matt Warshaw | New York, NY | October 3, 2020 |
DEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program table, retrieved October 24, 2026; the marine table prints no water.
By decade
When the New York records were set
Submitting
How DEC certifies a New York record
Freshwater: printable state record entry form received within 30 days of the catch; weighed on a certified scale (post office, supermarket or bait shop) by its owner or an employee, with one other witness; a DEC fisheries biologist must examine the fish before it is cut or gutted (keep it on ice, not frozen, over a weekend); fish fed or grown to break a record are disqualified.
A new freshwater record must beat the current record by at least 1 ounce; Redbreast sunfish needs at least 1 lb.
Photographs
Shores, kills and lakes by State records, pictured
Photo: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Photo: Antepenultimate, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers
New York record fish questions
How many New York state records does DEC list?
72: 38 freshwater and 34 marine.
What is the heaviest New York freshwater record?
Muskellunge at 69 lb 15 oz from St. Lawrence River (1957).
What is the heaviest New York marine record?
Shark (White) at 3450.00 lbs (1986).
How big is the record largemouth bass?
12 lb 6 oz from Cayuga Lake, caught July 11, 2024.
How big is the New York record muskellunge?
69 lb 15 oz from St. Lawrence River (1957).
Which record is the newest?
Perch, White, 3 lb 4 oz in 2025.
Which record has stood the longest?
Pike, Northern, 46 lb 2 oz in 1940.
How much must a new freshwater record beat the old one by?
A new freshwater record must beat the current record by at least 1 ounce; Redbreast sunfish needs at least 1 lb.